The East Bay Regional Park District is tipping its hat to its own history with the recent unveiling of a digital photo collection that spotlights its staff throughout the years. The collection, featuring the work of photographer Martin J. Cooney and his apprentice Nancy McKay, spans from 1965 to 1981 and is part of a series celebrating the District's 90th Anniversary, according to the East Bay Regional Park District’s website.

The Park Workers compilation showcases various individuals contributing to the park's day-to-day running. This includes images of staff members, board directors, and even volunteers, knitting a narrative of a workforce that began as a lean operation in the 1960s, burgeoned into a more diverse crowd by the 1970s, and saw a roster triple in size by the 1980s.

In a testament to the personal stories behind the Park District's evolution, Cooney's family handed over a treasure trove of more than 15,000 negatives to the Park District in 2016. Not only do these photographs by Cooney, and mainly his protégé McKay, capture the variegated scenery of the parks, but they also immortalize the faces and fashion of an era that saw profound change, both within the Park District and society at large.